Maryland wine shipping rides a wave of support–and pessimism
A blog posting on Dr. Vino about last Friday's direct wine shipping bill hearing, where there was a "huge turnout in favor of shipping." Also included is former Executive Director, Adam Borden's resignation letter:
Friday was a rare moment in the legislative sun for the subject of wine direct shipping in the Maryland, where, as we discussed, is a felony to ship wine.
Consumers and wine industry experts gave testimony before a committee.
Tom Wark, executive director of the Specialty Wine Retailers’
Association, who was there writes via email: “Huge turnout in favor of
shipping. Largest contingent of consumers I’ve ever seen at such a
hearing. Yet, there is pessimism. The chair said what we all knew…that
it was unlikely to pass. Distributor opposition, the “minors” red
herring and fear of job losses.”
On Friday afternoon, Adam Borden resigned as executive director of the pro-reform group. The Baltimore Sun reported
that he had lobbied aggressively for the cause–even calling a
delegate’s mother–and ruffled some feathers. They quote him as saying
he was resigning because he didn’t want his style to hurt the cause.
His resignation letter is reproduced here in full after the jump.
Some key contacts:
Marylanders for Better Wine and Beer Laws and their page On Facebook
Delegate Dereck E. Davis, Chair, Economic Matters Committee
Senator Joan Carter Conway, Chair, Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
House Bill (80/141); Senate Bill (26/47)
Sent this morning from the Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws:
My name is Adam Borden, and I’m a wine drinker.
I am also the Executive Director of Marylanders for Better Beer
& Wine Laws, a non-profit advocacy group trying to legalize wine
shipping in our state. Friday, I spoke for the last time in that
capacity. I am hereby announcing my resignation as Executive Director
effective immediately.
When I first took over Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws
15 months ago, I always knew consumers wanted wine shipping. What I
neither knew then nor could have imagined was just how substantial our
group would become. During my tenure, MBBWL has increased its
membership from 1,500 members to over 20,000. Our elected officials
have been inundated with calls, emails and faxes pleading with them to
finally make this a reality. Not just fine wine drinkers are upset that
wine cannot be delivered. I received an email last week from someone
who is angry that he can’t send a bottle of wine as a gift to someone …
and he doesn’t even drink. Period.
Wine shipping is not just a consumer issue. Our supporters are also
county governments, chambers of commerce, economic development
agencies, wineries, retailers, gift basket makers, entrepreneurs,
farmers, grape growers … the list goes on and on. The only people not
on this list are the liquor wholesalers, who refuse to this day to meet
with us. They do not want wine shipping because it would amount to 1%
of the wine sold in the state … and these are wines they don’t even
carry.
Sure, they espouse arguments that seem legitimate like worrying
about the kids, the difficulty the state might have in collecting taxes
or the detrimental impact on local liquor stores. These arguments like
all their others are smokescreens. They are cover for the plain
business interest driving their motivation. They will stop at nothing
to maintain their stranglehold on Maryland’s liquor supply and fear
that wine shipping is the proverbial “camel’s nose under the tent” that
would loosen their profitable franchise.
Who are these “barons of booze” to quote the Washington Post? The
two main distributors in this state are estimated to supply 70-80% of
the total liquor and wine in Maryland. It is a duopoly. These companies
are enormous, operating in multi-state jurisdictions and grossing
hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. It is estimated that they
and their friends have contributed to the campaigns of over 80% of the
Maryland General Assembly.
Many in leadership have said that 2010 is NOT the year to debate
wine shipping. Why not, I ask you? Because our leaders fear angering
what is arguably the most generous political patron in the state at a
time that every incumbent Delegate and Senator desperately needs
campaign funds.
But all of this is not news to any of you. If the wine shipping
debate truly rested on its merits alone, our elected leaders would have
passed it long ago. Instead, the bill has been hijacked by the liquor
lobby. Friday, we announced that we came to a critical common
understanding with our opponents on this issue. We can finally agree on
one thing: they want this bill killed more than anything else. They
will stop at nothing to see it defeated rather than work on a
meaningful compromise. No matter the thousands of constituent letters
and telephone calls, no matter the prominent levels of support
throughout the state, no matter the logic of our arguments, our elected
leaders are hard-pressed to challenge the liquor lobby.
I am still an optimist. I have not given up hope. There are so many
good people in the General Assembly who want this to pass that I still
continue to believe that 2010 can be our year. Direct shipping will not
create world peace. It will not solve our budget crisis (though it will
indeed help). Nonetheless, direct shipping will do so much good for so
many people all over Maryland that I know its day is just around the
corner.
In the course of growing and building Marylanders for Better Beer
& Wine Laws, I have pursued a grass-roots approach. Rather than
play an inside game, we have gone directly to voters around Maryland to
inspire them to take action. We’ve always played by the law but not
always by the rules of Annapolis. As a result, my advocacy for this
issue has sometimes rubbed politicians the wrong way. My own state
senator from the 43rd District, Joan Carter Conway, is probably the
most notable example; however there are others.
Because I care so much about this effort and about seeing Maryland
enter the 20th century, let alone the 21st, I announce my resignation
today. I hope my stepping down will in some small way advance the
cause, allowing others to pick up from where I leave off. I would hate
for my involvement in this legislation to be the reason for its demise
one more year. Paul Hoffstein, a dear friend and fellow wine lover,
will be taking over as interim director until someone more permanent
can fill the position.
I want to be clear, though, that my resignation is in no way a
concession of defeat. Nor does it mean that I will stop advocating for
direct wine shipping, which I believe in wholeheartedly and have
dedicated more time to than I can possible quantify over the last year
and a half. I have taken no money from the organization and stand to
gain nothing from the passage of this legislation.
I stand before you to deliver this message, “With my resignation
today, there is NO reason that I know of, with the exception of the all
powerful influence of Maryland’s liquor lobby, that this year’s direct
wine shipping bill should not become law.”
If I have any regret about what has happened, it is only that I have
not been able to share this news with any of our thousands of
supporters before now. I want to thank each and every one of them for
their continued dedication, especially those here today to testify on
behalf of the house bill in Economic Matters this afternoon.
I am not yet a cynic and pray that our elected leaders will prove me
wrong. With so much support and so many legislators behind this year’s
bill, I continue to believe that 2010 will be our vintage. Thank you.
Tastefully yours,
Adam Borden
Former Executive Director
Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws
4315 Underwood Road
Baltimore, MD 21218
Tel: (443) 570-8102
http://www.mbbwl.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mbbwl
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mbbwl
MeetUp: http://www.meetup.com/Marylanders-for-Better-Beer-Wine-Laws/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1873279
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